Gotham is going full-blown "horror" with the Scarecrow in season 4. The DC Comics-based TV show has dedicated a lot of its three previous seasons to chronicling the evolution of people like Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, and Selina Kyle into Batman icons like The Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman. However, one member of the Dark Knight's rogues' gallery to not get much focus so far is Jonathan Crane, the future villain known as Scarecrow.

The son of deranged murderer Dr. Gerald Crane (Julian Sands), Jonathan (Charlie Tahan) was at first shown to be conflicted about his father's ghastly deeds, but eventually ended up seemingly trapped within his own worst fears after being overdosed on Gerald's anti-fear serum. The elder Crane died in a shootout with police, and Jonathan hasn't appeared on Gotham since the second episode in the brief Crane arc that took place back during season 1.

Well, as previously confirmed by Gotham star David Mazouz, season 4 is set to bring The Scarecrow back in a big way. When asked by Cinema Blend about Gotham's plans for Scarecrow going forward, executive producer John Stephens offered the following comments, suggesting that the series will take the character in a much more horror-oriented direction than before.

"At the very beginning of the season, Penguin has solidified his control upon Gotham like never before. Where he's kind of unionized crime. And Scarecrow comes in to basically reintroduce fear into Gotham and to remind people that the dark is still scary out there. And we're really going to fashion, especially Episode 2, almost a horror movie episode where we really get to see Scarecrow. I think he's like purely terrifying. Imagine, rather than the other versions of Scarecrow out there -- because there are a lot of different versions -- what if you just really tell Scarecrow as a horror movie? Because he could be scary as hell."

Charlie Tahan as Jonathan Crane Scarecrow in Gotham

Past uses of Scarecrow in pop culture - such as in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins - have helped illustrate just how creepy a villain he can be, able to literally prey on the innermost fears of his victims. While it remains to be seen what spurs Jonathan Crane's recovery from his perpetual nightmare state, after having been trapped in that horrifying existence for so long, one can only imagine the insight he now has into how to use fear to his advantage.

With Penguin - as Stephens mentioned above - now having returned to the top of the Gotham underworld, one wonders how Scarecrow's return will go over with the city's former mayor. Penguin is strategic enough to possibly want to form an alliance with Crane, but it remains to be seen whether Crane will even be in any kind of mental state to make such a pact, much less whether he would even be interested in teaming up with anyone. If Penguin gets in Crane's way, it might not be too long before he too ends up facing his fears at the hands of the Scarecrow.

NEXT: Gotham Season 4 San Diego Comic-Con Trailer

Gotham season 4 premieres September 28 on FOX.

Source: Cinema Blend